Valve aligning means



Jan. 28, 1958 c. B. WENNER VALVE ALIGNING vmums Filed Feb. 2. 1955 YR R mm NN EE VW. m 5. .L.%

R v A m 9 Y/ 2 B 'I 7 I I 'IIIi?7/IA 25 ll ATTORNEY United States Patent VALVE ALIGNING MEANS Charles B. Wenner, Darien, Conn., assignor to Airkem, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 2, 1955, Serial No. 485,711

.6 Claims. (Cl. 299--82.5)

This invention relates to an improvement in mechanically actuated aerosol dispensers and particularly to valve aligning means for such mechanically actuated dispensers which will insure ejection of an aerosol spray in a particular desired direction. More particularly the invention relates to an aligning member having means cooperating with an aligned portion of an aerosol valve for orienting the discharge passage of said valve and to modifications of such member adapted for permanent, detachable, or adjustable mounting on a movable member of a mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser.

The development of extensive uses for aerosol spray bombs for the dispensing of insecticides, space deodorants, and many other preparations has also brought about the development of mechanically actuated aerosol dispensing devices adapted to receive an aerosol spray bomb and to respond to some movement such as opening and closing of a door to bring about a brief actuation or operation of the spray bomb momentarily to eject insecticide, deodorant, or the like therefrom. Typical mechanically actuated devices of this type are disclosed in United States Patents Nos. 2,534,464 and 2,534,465 issued December 19, 1950, to T. O. Marini et al. These patents are mentioned, however, merely by way of illustration and not of limitation.

The characterizing feature of mechanically actuated aerosol dispensers is the provision of a vertically moving member, which may be a reciprocating or pivoted member, registering with the valve of an aerosol container or bomb to depress the same as the actuating member responds to some movement such as the opening or closing of a door. While means has been provided in the past for positioning and supporting an aerosol container or bomb in an efiort to control the direction of spray released therefrom, it has been found that such efiorts have not been successful for the reason that one or more parts of many aerosol valves are capable of rotation with,

respect to the container or bomb permitting the discharge orifice of the valve to shift in relation to the firmly held container, thus alternating the direction of spray which is ejected in actuation of the valve. This becomes particularly troublesome in mechanically actuated aerosol dispensers which include an outer ornamental housing with a' relatively small aperture through which to eject the aerosol spray. If the discharge orifice of the valve deviates appreciably from its desired alignment, the spray ejected therefrom will impinge upon the inner surfaces of such housing causing an objectionable and sometimes dangerous accumulation instead of being freely dispersed and vaporized in the air.

. I have now discovered a practical and eflicient means I h for obviating the difficulties above mentioned and assuring at all times accurate alignment of the discharge orifice of an aerosol valve in mechanically actuated aerosol dispensers. Regarded in certain of its broader aspects,

the device in accordance with my invention comprises a guide member having aligning means registering with Patented Jan. 28, 1958 ice other aligning means-on an aerosol valve for providing jularly advantageous in adapting my aligning means to existing mechanically actuated aerosol dispensers.

The novel features of my invention will be readily understood from a consideration of the following description taken together with the accompanying drawing showing preferred forms thereof wherein the various parts are identified by suitable reference characters in each of the views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a partial view of a door and door frame in front elevation showing a typical mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing my valve aligning means in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing my aligning device infront elevation;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the aligning device;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the aligning device as shown in Fig. 4;

' Fig. 6 is a plan view of a sheet metal blank employed to fashion the device as shown in Figs. 4 and 5;

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view partially in section showing a further modification of my aligning device; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an aerosol valve nozzle head adapted for use with the aligning device as shown in Figs. 2 to 7.

The disclosure in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing is given to illustrate a typical application of a mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser and except for the particular valve aligning means disclosed in these figures, it is to be understood that details of the mechanical actuating mechanism form no part of the present invention. In Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing a mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser 10 is shown as comprising a casing 11 mounted on a door 12 and having a protruding roller 13 adapted to register with a roller depressing device 14 which is secured to a door frame 15. The depressing device 14 has been shown as including a cam 16 which will contact and depress the roller 13 in both opening and closing movements of the door, but it is to be understood that the member 14 can carry any roller engaging means for actuating the roller in only one direction of movement of the roller.

Arranged within the casing 11 is an aerosol container or .bomb 17 which is oriented to have the valve 18 thereof in alignment with an aperture 19 in the casing 11. The valve 18 is also disposed directly beneath a movable actuating member 20 which is mounted for vertical sliding movement in a bracket 21 secured within the container 11. The roller 13 is mounted on an axle 22 which moves with the vertically movable member 20 and in elongated vertical slots 23 in the bracket 21. The downward movement of the member 20 in response to engagement between the roller 13 and cam 16 depresses the valve 18 sufficiently to eject a spray 24 therefrom. It is to be understood, however, that the vertically-movable member 20 can, for the purpose of my invention, comprise avertically movable member of any mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser. Byway of illustration the vertically movable member 20 might be actuated by a pivotal mechanism in the manner shown in United States Patent No. 2,534,464 for providing vertical movement to the pressure element 21 thereof.

The valve aligning means in accordance with my invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 as a channeled member 25 welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the vertically movable member and having depending flanges 26 spaced apart to receive an aligning rib 18' on the valve head 18. For ease of insertion and removal of aerosol containers the flanges 26 and the aligning rib 18' of the valve head 18 have been shown as extending in a direction from front to back with respect to the casing '11 as seen in Fig. 1. It is to be understood, however, that the aligning means 18 on the valve head 18 can have any desired orientation with respect to the discharge orifice 27 provided a similar change is made in the orientation of the flanges 26 of the aligning device 25. The engagement between the flanges 26 and aligning rib 18 can be a relatively loose "fitting engagement for ease of insertion and rem-oval of aerosol containers while at the same time preventing relative rotation between the valve head 18 and the vertically movable member 20 so that the spray released through the nozzle 27 will always project through the aperture '19 in the casing part 11 of the device.

In Figs. 4 and 6 I have shown a modified form of aligning device which is generally similar to the device 26 in providing spaced downwardly extending flanges 29 from a passage 30 to receive the aligning means 18' of an aerosol valve head. The device 28 is fashioned, however, with a spring-clip or plate 31 which is adapted to clamp on a portion of the vertically movable member 20 as seen in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the :end 31" of the spring late 31 preferably being slightly offset as seen in Fig. 4 to prevent accidental displacement from the member 20.

The clip-on type of aligning device 28 shown in .Figs. 4 and 5 can be fashioned from various materials, such as sheet metal, molded plastics, and the like. Fig. 6 for eX- ample, shows how the device might be fashioned from sheet metal by providing cutouts 32 "and bending along the lines 33 and 34 to form the .fianges 29 and clip or plate part 31 of the device.

Fig. 5 shows the front end of the flanges 29 as having flared portions 35 to facilitate insertion of the aligning element '18 between the fianges2'9. Itisto be understood in this connection that the flanges 26 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the flanges shown in Fig. '7 are also similarly flared at the front end thereof.

The device as shown in Figs. 4 to 6 is particu'larlysuited for adapting my invention to mechanically actuated aerosol dispensers which are already in use or to devices in which it is not desired to have'the aligning means constitute a fixed or integral part of the vertically movable valve actuating member. -In this connection it will 'be apparent that it *may sometimes be desirable to provide for variation from time to time in the direction ofspray from a mechanically actuated "aerosol dispenser. In order to provide such adjustment '1 have shown in Fig. '7 of the drawing .an aligning device 25' having protruding flanges 26' generally similar to the device 25 and flanges 26 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. In this instance, however, the device 25' is secured "to a vertically movable member 20' by means of a screw 36 which-permits the same to be fixedly secured to the member 20' in different positionsof rotary adjustment with respectthereto. It will be apparent that the guide flanges 26" in engagement with the aligning means 18"of an aeroso'l'valve head will maintain the desired orientati0n of the discharge nozzle 27, but this orientation can be changed from time to time by merely loosening the screw 36, rotatably -adjusting the aligning device 25' and reti-ghte'n'ing' the screw 36.

Various changes atidmodificatiorisdn the valve aligning-means herein disclosed will appear to those-skilled in 'pended claims they constitute a part of my invention.

I claim:

-l. in a mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser having means for supporting an aerosol container equipped with a depressible valve and discharge nozzle, said dispenser including a vertically movable member for depressing said valve to discharge a spray through the nozzle thereof, the improvement that comprises an aligning device secured to said vertically movable member and registering with said valve, .said aligning device including means separably interfitting with said valve to prevent relative rotation between said valve and vertically movable member.

'2. 'In a mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser having means for supporting an aerosol container equipped with a depressible valve and discharge nozzle, said dispenser including a vertically movable member for depressing said valve to discharge a spray through the nozzle thereof, the improvement that comprises an aligning device secured to said vertically movable member and registering with said valve, said aligning device including means separably interfitting with said valve to prevent relative rotation between said "valve and vertically movable member, said aligning device being secured to said vertically movable member as an integral part'thereof.

3. Ina mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser having means for supporting an aerosol container equipped with a depressible valve and discharge nozzle, said dispenser including a vertically movable member for depressing said valve to discharge a spray through the nozzle thereof, the improvementtliat comprises an aligning device secured to said vertically movable member and registering with said valve, said aligning device including means separably interfitting with said valve to prevent relative rotation between said valve and vertically movable member, said aligning device comprising a separable member having clip-on engagement with said vertically movable member.

4. In a mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser having means for supporting an aerosol container equipped -with a depress'ible valve :and discharge nozzle, said dispenser including a vertically 'movable member for depressing said valve to discharge a spray through the nozzle thereof, the improvement that comprises an aligning device secured to said vertically movable member :and registering with said valve, said aligning device including means separably interfitting with said valve to prevent relative rotation between said valve and vertically movable member, said aligning device comprising a separable member secured to said vertically movable member by means providing clamping engagement therebetween in different positions of relative rotation thereof.

5. In a mechanically actuated aerosol dispenser having means for supporting an aerosol container equipped with a depressible valve and discharge nozzle, said dispenser including a vertically movable member for depressing said valve to discharge a spray through the nozzle thereof, the

improvement that-comprises an aligning'device secured to said vertically movable member and registering with said valve, said aligning device including means separably interfitting with said valve to prevent relative rotation between said valveand vertically movable member, said separably interfitting means comprising spaced depending fiangeson :said aligning device forming :a channel to receivean elongated aligning element .on said aerosol valve. v6. In ;a mechanically actuated :aerosol dispenser having means for supporting an aerosol container equipped with a depressible valve and discharge nozzle, said dispenser including a vertically movable member for depressing said valve to dischargea spraythrough the nozzle thereof, the improvement that comprises analigningdevice secur'edto said vertically movable .memberand registering vwithsaid valve, said aligning device including means separably in- .terfitting with vsaid valve .to prevent relative rotation between said valve and vertically movable member, :said separably inter-fitting means comprising spaced depending flanges on said aligning device forming a channel to receive an elongated aligning elementon said aerosol valve;

and the front ends of said flanges being outwardly flared 1,684,865 Hansen et a1 Sept. 18, 1928 to facilitate insertion of said aligning element. 2,035,749 Knauss Mar. 31, 1936 2,534,464 Marini et a1 Dec. 19, 1950 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,534,465 Marini D 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,577,245 Tuttle et a1. Dec. 4, 1951 929,127 Gorton July 27, 1909 2,673,003 y 1954 990,179 Wilson Apr. 18, 191 1 

